A manufacturing method of a resin frame includes preparing a plurality of frame members, installing a pair of the frame members in the corner portion in a pair of molds, melting end surfaces of the pair of the frame members as welding margins, and welding the welding margins. The molds respectively includes a reference surface holding the frame members and a blade portion protruding to an inner side with respect to the reference surface. In the welding, in the corner portion, the pair of the frame members are pressed by the blade portions, so that the welding margin protrudes from between the blade portions, the outer peripheral surfaces of the pair of the frame members are bent inward, and the corner portion is made concave with respect to the portions adjacent to the corner portion.

A method for optimizing a welding process to produce a weld joint having a predetermined strength includes measuring a plurality of melt layer thicknesses of weld joints for a plurality of sample assemblies formed by the welding process, measuring a plurality failure loads of weld joints for the plurality of sample assemblies, each of the measured plurality of failures loads being associated with one of the measured plurality of melt layer thicknesses, selecting a first failure load from the plurality of measured failure loads responsive to determining that the first failure load corresponds to a predetermined weld strength, and selecting a first melt layer thickness from the plurality of measured melt layer thicknesses that is associated with the selected first measured failure load.

Illustrative examples of forming and using suitably adapted materials for improving interface strength between thermoset-thermoplastic joined parts includes exposure of a thermoplastic substrate to a plasma to form an amine-functionalized substrate having amine chemical moieties disposed on a first surface. The first surface of the thermoplastic substrate is positioned adjacent to and contacts a second surface of a thermoset substrate to form a workpiece. The thermoset substrate includes epoxide chemical moieties on and within material forming the thermoset substrate. The workpiece is subsequently heated to form a structure, where heating of the workpiece causes covalent chemical bonds to form between the plasma-treated first surface of the thermoplastic substrate and the second surface of the thermoset substrate. Thereafter, additional thermoplastic components can be fusion bonded to a surface of the thermoplastic substrate opposite the first surface—thereby providing improved attachment of additional thermoplastic components to the thermoset substrate.

A method of joining overlapping thermoplastic roofing membrane components in which a first thermoplastic roofing membrane component and a second roofing membrane component are positioned in overlapping relationship between a pair of complementary molding surfaces. Heat is generated in a metal substrate and transferred by thermal conduction from the metal substrate to overlapping portions of the first and second thermoplastic roofing membrane components to locally melt and coalesce a portion or more of the thermoplastic material of the first thermoplastic roofing membrane component and a portion or more of the thermoplastic material of the second thermoplastic roofing membrane component. The molten thermoplastic material of the first and second thermoplastic roofing membrane components forms a zone of coalesced thermoplastic material that, upon cooling, forms a solid weld joint.

Disclosed embodiments provide automated fiber placement techniques for fabrication of parts made from composite materials. A peening system with multiple pins provides compaction over irregular surfaces, providing superior performance as compared with traditional compaction rollers. The apparatus that carries out the techniques include a tape dispensing system, a heating system, a peening system, a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory contains instructions that when executed by the processor perform the steps of: dispensing a first ply of thermoplastic composite tape over a mandrel; dispensing a second ply of thermoplastic composite tape on the first ply; and peening the second ply onto the first ply, such that the second ply is bonded to the first ply.

A protective packaging web is disclosed. The web includes a flexible inflatable web that includes inflatable chambers having inlets and configured for receiving a fluid from the inlets and sealing the fluid therein, the inflatable chambers being configured such that, when inflated, the inflatable web structure has a first contoured exterior surface including a plurality of peaks and valleys, and a flexible first outer ply affixed to the peaks and detached from the valleys of the first contoured surface, such that when the inflatable chambers are inflated, the first outer ply extends along a phantom first tangential surface, bridging the valleys of the first contoured surface, such that when the chambers are inflated the affixed first outer ply and the inflatable web cooperatively form a framed structure having significantly elevated bending stiffness compared to a bending stiffness resulting from the inflatable web structure absent the attached first outer ply.

A tool for pressing a foamed material onto a substrate, a manufacturing apparatus thereof, and a method for manufacturing a laminated structure of a heat-retaining container are disclosed. The tool comprises a body, a blade portion extending in a lengthwise direction from the body, and a press portion extending in the lengthwise direction from the body and configured for pressing the foamed material onto the substrate. The tool may be used to press a foamed material sheet onto a paper substrate and form a tear line on the foamed material sheet at the same time to simplify the manufacturing process of the laminated structure of a heat-retaining container.

A tool for pressing a foamed material onto a substrate, a manufacturing apparatus thereof, and a method for manufacturing a laminated structure of a heat-retaining container are disclosed. The tool comprises a body, a blade portion extending in a lengthwise direction from the body, and a press portion extending in the lengthwise direction from the body and configured for pressing the foamed material onto the substrate. The tool may be used to press a foamed material sheet onto a paper substrate and form a tear line on the foamed material sheet at the same time to simplify the manufacturing process of the laminated structure of a heat-retaining container.

An insulation assembly is provided. The insulation assembly includes a three-sided insulation envelope configured to form a cavity. The cavity is configured to receive a section of uninsulated, existing ductwork. The three-sided insulation envelope forms an opening. An insulation cap is configured to seat against the three-sided insulation envelope thereby encapsulating the uninsulated, existing ductwork and sealing the opening.

An insulation assembly is provided. The insulation assembly includes a three-sided insulation envelope configured to form a cavity. The cavity is configured to receive a section of uninsulated, existing ductwork. The three-sided insulation envelope forms an opening. An insulation cap is configured to seat against the three-sided insulation envelope thereby encapsulating the uninsulated, existing ductwork and sealing the opening.